Rail-joint.



No. 811,130. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

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RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAYZG, 1905.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application iled May 29, 1905. Serial No. 262,845.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL TILDEN CovnnsroNn, a citizen ci the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county oi" Isabella and State oi Michigan, have invented certain. new and useiul Improvements .in Bail-Joints g and. I do declare the followingI to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

This invention relates to improvements in rail-joints 'for railway-rails.

The object of the invention is to provide a joint of this character whereby the meeting ends of railway-rails may be securely joined or connected without the use of bolts or nuts and in such a manner that the connected joints will be as rigid and unyielding as any other portion of the rail.

A further object is to provide a joint in which the ends of the rail will be protected and the expansion and contraction of the rails will be provided for.

Another object is to provide a rail-joint in which the ends of the rails always remain level, thereby providing a noiseless passage 'for the wheels of the cars over said. joints.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed..

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the meeting ends of two sections of a rail, showing the same engaged. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the end of one ci said sections. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the meeting end of the opposite section; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the meeting ends of two rail-sections, showing the same engaged.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 denote the meeting ends of two rail-sections. On the end of' the section 1, at the upper edge of' the tread portion oi the same, is 'formed a longitudinally-projecting tapering tongue or point 3, said tongue or point being preferably triangular in crosssection and. is provided on its end with a reduced projection 1. On the end of the head portion of the rail end 1, below and spaced from said tongue or point 3, is formed a longitudinally-projecting lug 5. Below the lug 5 on the end of the railsection 1 the base ilanges 6 of said rail are cut away or recessed, as shown at 7.

In the meeting end 2 of the adjacent rail section the tread portion thereof is provided with a tapering longitudinally-disposed triangularly-shaped groove or channel 8, at the end of which is formed a recess 9, which eX- tends back beyond the groove 8 into the tread of the rail, as shown. In the end of the web portion below the groove or channel 8 is `formeda recess or notch 10. The base or flange of the endv 2 is extended beyond the body portion of the rail, as shown at 12, and in said extended 'portion of the flange or base is formedv a vertically-disposed notch or recess 13.

In assembling the two sections of the rail the tongue or point 3 is inserted into the groove or channel 8, and the projection 4 on the end of said tongue is inserted into the recess 9 at the end of said groove or channel. The lug 5 on said end 1 of the rail-section is inserted into the notch or recess l0, while the notch or recess 13 in the rail end 2 will be engaged with the lower portion of the base of the rail end 1, formed by the cut-away portion of the base-ilange oi said section, the eX- tended ends of the base-flange of the section 2 engaging the ends of the recessed portion of the Vflange oi' the rail-section 1.

By providing the ends of the rail-sections with the projections and recesses as hereinbefore described said ends of the rail-sections will be securely interlocked when engaged together, thereby forming a rigid and unyielding joint. By forming the ends of the railsection as hereinbefore described the assembling of said rails is greatly facilitated and much time and labor is saved by obviating the necessity of using bolts and nuts in 'fornn ing said joints. l

From the 'foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing `from the principle or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I clailn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

1. A joint for the ends of railway-rail secroo tions, one of said ends having formed in the tread thereof a V-shaped tapering longitudinally-disposed groove or channel at the inner end of which is formed a recess, a tapering triangularly-shaped tongue forined on the end of the adjacent rail-section to engage said groove or channel, a reduced projection Jformed on the end of said tongue to enter said recess, and a vertical and lateral interlocking connection between the lower portions of said ends, substantially as described.

2. A joint for the ends of railway-rail sections, one of said ends having formed in the tread thereof a \l-shaped tapering longitudinally-disposed groove or channel at the inner end of which is formed a recess, said end being provided below said groove or channel with a horizontally-disposed notch or recess, an extended base-'flange formed on said end below said notch, said base-flange having formed therein aYvertically-disposed notch or recess, a tapering trian ularly-shaped tongue formed on the end of t e adjacent section to engage said groove or channel, a reduced projection formed on said tongue to engage the recess in the end of said groove, a lug formed on the end of said rail below said tongue, the base-flange of said end below said lug being recessed or cut away whereby the end of said rail-section is adapted to be interlocked with 3o the notched and recessed end of the adjacent rail-section, against vertical or lateral movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set iny hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 35 nesses.

SAMUEL TILDEN COVERSTONE. Witnesses:

(1A. KELLOGG,

C. W. RrcrIEs. 

